"Your Majesty, the king is just a child. If he does anything wrong, it will be my mother's fault. I am willing to bear it for him."
Concubine Guo knelt in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, covering her face with a handkerchief, and said pitifully.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked impatient. He threw the memorial in front of Concubine Guo and said, "You really raised a good son. Look what he did."
Concubine Guo picked up the memorial on the ground and read it at a glance. A look of panic quickly appeared on her face, and she didn't know what to say for a while.
Although she was in a deep palace and didn't know much about the affairs of the court, she also knew what taxation meant, not to mention that the Ming Dynasty had just been founded and was in a period of great waste.
Just when Concubine Guo was at a loss, Prince Zhu Biao, who had come after hearing the news, had already walked in.
"Father, my thirteenth brother is still young and alone in the vassal territory. Even if he does anything extraordinary, please ask my father for mercy."
Zhu Biao said with sincerity.
"Haha, what an extra-judicial act of mercy. Prince, have you read the memorial? This kid is just messing around in Nanjing, and now he has reached out to the salt tax. What is he going to do? Is he trying to rebel?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said with an angry look.
Zhu Yuanzhang himself started out as a rebel (uprising), so he was very sensitive to this word throughout his life. I don't know how many ministers were executed because of this crime.
Zhu Biao immediately knelt down and said, "Father, I understand that my thirteenth brother must have done it unintentionally."
Seeing this, Guo Guifei on the side also echoed: "Your Majesty, please consider the love of blood relatives and flesh and blood, and give me a lighter sentence. I am willing to use all the rewards from your Majesty over the years to plead guilty on behalf of the king."
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head helplessly.
He paced back and forth several times and finally said: "This son said in the memorial that he can pay the salt tax of three million taels next year. I will give him this opportunity. If he can't do it, you two don't have to come to plead for mercy. Let him
He raised his head to see you."
After speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang left the imperial study directly without waiting for the two of them to continue talking.
Only Concubine Guo and Zhu Biao were left looking at each other.
"Prince, please be sure to save King Dai."
Concubine Guo looked at Zhu Biao with tears in her eyes.
"This is a matter within the king's responsibility, so you don't need to worry, the noble concubine."
Neither of them thought that what Zhu Gui wrote in the memorial could be accomplished.
However, Zhu Biao presided over state affairs in the palace, and the drafting of the memorial was also within the scope of his rights, so he decided to remind the worried younger brother that he must not cause any more trouble within this year.
He can continue to plead with the emperor.
It would take half a month for the memorial to go back and forth between Nanjing and Datong.
Zhu Gui had no intention of waiting until the memorial arrived before acting.
On the second day after the memorial was sent, he reviewed more than a thousand transformed salt traders who had been recruited in the open space in front of the Daiwang Palace.
The commotion was not small. The surrounding restaurants and inns were all full, and the streets were crowded with people watching the excitement.
Even the acting princess Xu Miaoqing and Zhu Er stood high in the palace and watched all this.
Xu Miaoqing's eyes were wandering, and she didn't know what she was thinking.
On the palace side, Xu Yingxu was waiting with a group of guards. He did not have a good impression of these salt dealers.
Not long after, the main door of the palace opened from the inside.
The acting king Zhu Gui came to the front of the open space surrounded by his guards.
He first asked the guards to put up a stool, and he stood on it so that he would not only be able to see the people in the first row.
This scene made Xu Miaoqing burst out laughing.
"You're obviously still a child, why are you causing so much trouble?"
Zhu'er on the side covered her mouth and looked very uncomfortable.
Zhu Gui stood on the stool and looked at the dense crowd of people in front of her, feeling a little nervous.
However, when I thought that my current identity was completely different from that of my previous life, I suddenly felt a surge of pride in my heart.
He looked at the steward of Wangwang's Mansion aside and asked, "Is everyone here?"
The housekeeper nodded and said: "According to the prince's instructions, these people have not been screened yet."
Zhu Gui nodded, then cleared his throat and said loudly: "My king, Zhu Gui, was granted the title of Yunzhou. I know that all the people here are miserable people, and selling illicit salt is a last resort. I hope you are determined to change your mind.
I am willing to give everyone a chance."
After saying these words, Zhu Gui paused for a moment, wanting to see everyone's reaction.
The salt dealers present looked at this young man with a childish face, and it was difficult to imagine that he was the acting king who killed more than a dozen salt dealers alone.
Many people had doubts and worries on their faces, obviously not having much confidence in the acting king's policies.
Even the powerful families in the restaurant and the people on the street began to whisper to each other.
"Master Liu, do you think there is any master behind this acting king? Otherwise, how could he do such unbelievable things at such a young age?"
Sitting by the window on the third floor of Yuelai Restaurant, Hu Shidao asked Liu Jingming in a low voice, who was hiding behind the curtain.
It turns out that his biggest backer is this salt envoy from the capital, and the previous information also came from this person.
Liu Jingming snorted coldly and said: "I don't know if there is anyone behind him, but he obviously knows nothing about His Majesty's temper today, and he did such a self-digging thing. I have told Yan
After the king reports this, I think the imperial court will send someone within a month or so."
A ray of light appeared in Hu Shidao's eyes, then he shook his head and said: "That's really a pity. I am very interested in this acting king. How did he get so much refined salt."
While the two were talking, Zhu Gui took action again.
He obviously saw the distrust of the people in front of him.
So he waved his hand, and the door of Prince Dai's Mansion opened again, and this time four guards carried out two boxes.
The guard opened the box, and it was filled with white money.
Zhu Gui knew that these people might not trust him, but he also knew what they would trust.
This trick worked really well, almost everyone's eyes were focused on these two boxes, and many people couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
"I know what everyone is worried about, so this time everyone registered can receive an advance payment of three months' salary."
These words were like a stone thrown into the lake, and the scene suddenly became an uproar.
Even Xu Yingxu, who was always calm and composed, couldn't help but glance at Zhu Gui.
“Is selling salt really so profitable?”
Xu Miaoqing, who was not far away, stamped her feet angrily: "Is this how money is spent? Can money buy the loyalty of these people? This fool."
Hu Shidao and Liu Jingming stood up directly.
They didn't expect that the acting king could actually use this trick.
As for the effect, just look at the reactions of the people below.